Reading has always been a priority in our home. Books are often gifts, we try to model good reading habits for the kids, and my husband and I spend lots of timing reading with our kids. Even though my oldest is in 4th grade I still include a read aloud at most morning breakfasts, and even squeeze in a little chat about what we read.

These habits didn't happen overnight. We built them up one piece at a time. If you are reading this I am guessing reading is pretty important to you, particularly as a parent, too. Maybe you even want to add in a new reading habit.

Whether you have a few minutes in the morning like we do or if you prefer a read aloud before bed, I highly recommend reading to your kids well beyond their toddler years.

In our family we have many favorite books that we have read over and over again. There are brand new books that we read for the first time together. When a movie based on a novel is coming out, we read a little bit of the book every day and then celebrate by going to see the movie version. All in all, I try to make reading a normal, special and fun part of the kids' lives every single day.

When I find a book that is inspiring and thought-provoking I keep it close. It might become something of a touchstone text in our loves. A handful of those books are what I want to share with you today.

Here are 5 inspiring and thought-provoking books you can consider adding to your list of books to read to your little ones:

This book is close to a spiritual text for us. Beautifully describing how we are all connected to each other, to nature, and to the moon & stars, I just adore this book. I love how this book takes such big ideas and makes it poetically kid-friendly. This book is at the top of my list. If you only want one new book, make this the one.

This book is deep and we loved it when we read it once... then twice... then again and again. Each time we read it one of my children is bound to point out a new observation or connection they make. Based on a story by Leo Tolstoy, this is a book both adults and kids will enjoy.

This story scored big points just for having an adorable panda named Stillwater as a main character. Stillwater tells each of the other characters amazing short stories, each with a lesson or message you can talk about with your family well after the story is over. Besides the enchanting stories being told, the illustrations are captivating on their own.

I Believe In Me is a book of affirmations that we often use as a source of mantras. We have read through this book many times and my kids are familiar with the many phrases within it like, "I am whole and perfect just the way I am," and "I make friends easily". My kids take turns flipping through this book to find a phrase that might be a family mantra or find their own mantra based on a personal need. Our copy of this book is pretty well worn out as we use it almost daily.

Kids need heroes and I think Malala Yousafzai is one of the best. This book talks about many social situations in the world today and will encourage thought-provoking conversations with your children. As a parent, this book helped me discuss Malala's fight in a kid-friendly way. This book makes my eyes well up every time, Malala's story is so inspiring.

There are thousands of inspiring books out there that we should all read and this is just the tip of the iceberg. If you are looking for a new book or two to add to your home library, this is a great place to start.

Do you have an addition to the "must read" list? I want to hear from you. Add a comment below with a title we should check out!